Spring connection



R. R. SEARLES SPRING CONNECTION Sept. 13, 1932.

Filed April 15, 1929 INVENTOR invention; V,

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 f [UNITED mug RAYMOND}. SEARLES, or NEW BRITAIN, conivno'rrcu'r, ASSIGNOR TO THEJ'FAFN'IR EARING oo rANv, or NEW 'Bn r N; CONNECTICUT, A ooRro'RA'rIon or con,- I

' NEc'rIcUT 2 Application filed 1 m 13,

My invention relates to an antifric-tion spring end connectlon for connecting the "frame and spring, oran axle and spring, of a motor vehicle; a r A It is-an objectiof the invention-to provide an improved antifriction. spring connection for asmotor vehicle which shall befsimple and compact'in construction, relatively cheap vto manufacture, and serviceable in use. I v

. Itis another-object to provide .acompactantifriction spring end connectionfora moitorvehicle which will provide a positive connection and yet willpermit free lengthening and shortening ofa spring without the use of shaekle links. Q

7 It is another object to provide a compact antifriction. spring end connection for a vehicle sprlng In wh ch fullclr'cularrace rings may be employed so that there maybe true rolling motion of the antifriction bearing members andyet lengthening of the spring may bepermitted withouttheiuse of shackle :links-.fi v H c Q, Other objects and 'features of invention will becomeapparent.

Broadly, theinvention an outer araceway aniinner raceway and an intermef diateraceway Withantifriction bearing membersinterposed between the outer and interme'diateand between the intermediate and inner raceways to permit true rolling motion of In the drawingwhichshows,for illustrapreferably 1 the" outer is connected to the invention, I have shown my invention as sinbodied in a spring end connection for connecting the spring and axle of a motor vehicle, but it is to be understood that this showing is but 'illustrative and the principlesof the invention may as well be employed in connecting the spring to the frameof the vehicle, 1

' In the drawing and housing and illustrating features of my I Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken see connndrrou m9.- Serial no; 354,722.

fiagmeritry ongitudinal side View ofan axle housing and parts for connecting a spring thereto, parts beingvshown in-section for illustration; v V substantial- 1y on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

- In said drawing, 5 indicates a frame which may be'a partflof the motor vehicleframe or, as shownfconnectedflto the axle or axle'housing 6 ofa motor vehicle. vThe frame" 5 may be clamped to theaxle housing6 as by means 1 ofa cover cap 7 secured by through-bolts 8-8. 9'indicates a spring to'be connectedto' the frame .5 whether the, latter be 'a part of the vehicle framejor a part of or secured to an axle-'or housing." My improved spring-end connection when connected'to an axle hensing isp'arti'culzirlyadapted forcantilever spring constructions.

In' the" particular form nflamed, -the frame includes spaced apart bosses 10 -10,

each carrying an outer circular'race ring 11 for, 'antifriction bearing members such as 'balls 12.- 'Thefbosses and parts associated 5' therewith aresubstantial duplicates of each other and only one will be described in full.

erably separate from andsecured to the boss 1'0-as by means of a nut 13. A second race ring 14 which I may term an intermediate 'race ring is mounted within each bosslO, and is supported by the anti- 'friction bearing members 12. Suitable dust sea-ls 15 15-may be provided for excluding this caselthe spring 9) is connected to the intermediate ring 14. The intermediate race "The race ring 11 may be a part of,-b ut is pref V rin ma be rovided with an eccentric bore 17 into which the endsof the'pin 16 extend. i

Antifriction bearing members such as balls 18 are interposed between the pin ends and the eccentric "boref 'As illustratedfl may employ a'cup race 20 to ac'curately'fit within c the bore 17 and the raceways for the pinends Flg. l 'is a sectional view through an axle may be cut directly upon the pin ends as indicatedfat21. A suitable dust seal 22 may be ring 14 the latter rotates on the outer bear: ing balls 12 and the-pin 16 is raisedorlowered during this rotation of the intermediate ring 14. 'Themaximum lengthening or shortenpermitted is twice. the eccentricity of the intermediate ring 14 andthe pin 16. The positions of the parts shownin Fig. 3 may be said to be the normal or the rest positions. Should the spring lengthen, thepin would be 'inoved transversely and would also be raised slightly. The nearer the axis of the pin 16 comes to passing through ahorizontal plane through the axis of the outerringll,

the greater will be the force required. to move the intermediate ring 14 and thus some variable chucking force is placed upon the lengthening or shortening of the spring.

e As a practical matter the raceways are so formed that radial loads are carried by the balls and thrust loads in at least one direction are also carried by the balls. 'Asshown, the

balls 12 take radial loads and thrusts in both directions while the balls 18 take radial loads and thrusts'in onedirection. 7

In the embodiment shown, the outer ring '11,'an'd intermediate ring 14, together witparts carried thereby, may be removed after the retaining ring 13 is removed. It is to be understood that the racewaysfor the balls 18 on the intermediate-ring 14 could be formed directly on such ring instead of as shown.

The screw plug holding the cup race 20 in place could be definitely fixed or the bore 17 could'have a closed end instead of being pro- 'vided with an adjustable closure plug. Many other changes and variations will suggest 'themselvesto those skilled in'the art.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and one embodiment thereof illustrated, it is to be understoodthat the invention may be otherwise embodied and many changes in matters of detail may be made within the scopeofthe invention as defined in the appended claims. 1 I

claim 1. In a spring end connection permitting longitudinal movement of the spring relatively to the part connected thereto by said connection, a frame member having 'abearing track thereon, antifriction bearing members on said track, an intermediate member engaging said bearing members for rollingcontact therewith, means to be carried by a spring and antifriction bearing members interposed between said means and said intermediate member.

2. In a spring end connection permitting longitudinal movement of the spring relative- 1 1y to the part connected thereto by said connection, a frame member, an intermediate member, antifriction bearing members interposed between said frame and intermediate members, whereby said intermediate member may rotate on said antifriction bearing members, means to be carried bya spring'and eccentrically positioned relatively to said intermediate member, and antifriction bearing members interposed between said intermediateinemberiand said means to be carried by said spring. r

'3. In aj spring end connection permitting longitudinal movement of the spring relatively to the'part' connected thereto by said connection, a frame member embodying an outer race ring for antifriction bearing members,

an inner race ring, antifriction bearing members interposed between said race rings, means to be carried by a spring, and means including antifriction bearing members for mounting said-means to be-carried by a spring eccentrically on said inner race ring. "4. In a s'prlng end connect on permitting longitudmal movement of the spring relative- '-lyto the part connected thereto by said con- -nection, a frame having a circular bearing racefor antifriction bearing members, a ciri'eular race ring, antifriction bearing members interposed between the outside of said circular race ring and said circular bearing race on said-frame member, said race ring having an eccentric bore therein, a race member'in said hole to be carried by a spring, and antifriction bearing members interposed between said race member and said eccentric bore.

5. In a spring end connection permitting longitudinal movement of the spring relatively to the part connected thereto by said connection, a frame to be carried by an axle housing, said frame having an outer race ring for antifriction bearing members, an intermediate race rin antifriction bearing members interposed between said race rings, means'to be carried by a spring, antifriction bearing members to support said means to be carried by a spring on said intermediate race ring, said last mentioned antifriction bearing members vbeing arranged eccentricallyof said intermediate race ring.

6. .In a spring end connection permitting longitudinal movement of thespring relative- 1y tothe part connected thereto by said connection, a frame having spaced apart bosses each having, an outer raceway therein, an intermediate raceway member in each said outer raceway, each said intermedi-ate'raceway member having an outer raceway thereon and an internal raceway eccentric, to said outer raceway, aninner raceway member in M. WAGNER CHANGE SPEED GEARING Filed March 27, 1950 Sept. 13, 1932.

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